I was kindly sent a link to this book, it said in the email that it would brighten my day.

I can confirm that it did indeed brighten my day (well my afternoon at least).

A brilliant mix of love, lust and laughs, those important 3 l's!

This is a book that although quite simple in its delivery, offers, happiness and hope.

Giving a fresh outlook on romance and those happy ever afters.

I didn't know what to except from this book cos I never read this author before but I was hooked from the min I started it. Loved the story line all the way through.

An easy read which almost, but just quite didn't hit the spot, and I can't put my finger on why.
A bit predictable maybe? A bit too wandering in places? I'm not sure. However, I'm glad i read it.

I absolutely loved this book! It’s so heartwarming and puts a smile on your face so many times.
I loved how closed proximity can bring January and Augustus together and make them fall in love with each moment spend together and discovering that preconceptions have to be left behind and embrace life with different eyes. Also their names no?
It is the perfect read for cold winter or long hot summer days.
A must read story.

Not a bad read, not the greatest. As with so many of this genre, the ending is clearly telegraphed in about the first 50 pages, but it's an easy, escapist read (just what I need at the moment) and the characters were interesting and engaging enough to keep me going.

This book is *all* over Instagram at the moment, and for good reason: it really is an ideal 'beach read.' Beach Read follows two rival authors (January, who writes romance, and Gus, who writes dark literary fiction) who both have writer's block and need to finish their novels by the end of the summer. So they place a bet on who will finish their manuscript first – with the caveat that they have to swap genres.

Beach Read hits all the right notes you need in a rom-com. It's romantic (the main character is a romance author, after all). It's actually laugh-out-loud funny. And although we know we're probably going to get a happy ending, there are plenty of twists and turns along the way – including sub-plots covering more serious topics – to keep you reading and guessing and rooting for January and Gus.

Beach Read by Emily Henry is just that. It was enjoyable and light and predictable. The characters were interesting but not really complex.. However it was a pleasant way to pass some time while self-isolating. Part of me felt that there were two books going on here (appropriately enough considering the plot) and that is perhaps what caused the feeling that everything was too easy and straightforward; there just wasn't enough space to unpack all the strands fully.

The premise was good, two different authors getting inspiration from each other and writing new and interesting books. Even the back story for them was OK, meeting at college, messy family lives, etc. But the book gets very self indulgent and over analyses the same situations over and over again. So what if her father had an affair, you will end up saying. In the big scheme of things it is small fry compared to the childhood Gus had. Could have been better....

I have given this read 3 stars on the rating however if I could award half stars I would have given 3.5 stars.

I really enjoyed the different relationships portrayed within this book and I was intrigued by the raw emotions explored. You can really feel the unrest and distress from the two main characters and their pasts.

Whilst I enjoyed the idea of the characters swapping genres there were unfortunately some areas of the story which for me just didn’t seem to fit and were abit unnecessary (the cult etc) and I wanted to scurry past them and carry on with the rest of the book which I was enjoying.

There were some laughs mostly near the beginning and there was also a chapter nearer the end that actually had me tearing up which I wasn’t expecting and I felt this was a great section of the book.

From the book cover shown here and the book title I was expecting a completely different story to the one told however I did overall enjoy it.

This was such a great story! I loved how unexpectedly normal the characters were, how he wasn’t classically romcom gorgeous, and how she really explored her feelings and thoughts in the wake of her imploding world. Such a neat, unique story! Loved it.

All of my favourite things, books, writing, seaside setting, family intrigue and the slow burn romance. Fantastically done, highly recommend. Thanks NetGalley!

What happens when two authors of different genre dare each other to write a book in the others genre? Each offer training to the other in writing the different stories, and there is a prize for the winner. Mix in with that a local bookshop, terrible coffee, bookclubs and a budding romance. I’d like to see this happen in real life, I think it would be fun! A great read.

I haven't read Emily Henry before, so thank you to Netgalley for the AVC in return for an honest review. I picked this book from the list as it looked like a really simple quick read. How wrong I was - this is a really funny, romantic (and sometimes a bit risque!) story of a couple finding each other at the right time in their lives and their journey towards realising each other's feelings. I couldn't wait to see what happened and really enjoyed it.

An enjoying read that kept my attention throughout! I enjoyed the developing relationship between the 2 main characters as developed throughout the book! Would be intrigued to read more by this author.

A cracking easy read and enjoyable book. Not a book that has to saved for the sunlounger. Its funny and well written and there its definitely more than a chick lit story.

This book didn't meet my expectations and I'm bummed about it. It's not a bad book in any way, but from what I read in the premise I was expecting to find a new favourite and instead I only found an okay read. It's such an annoying feeling when this happens.

Anyway, let's talk about the actual book.
I was drawn to the fact that the main characters are both authors and that they decide to swap genres and see who can finish and sell their book faster. It was a cute and fun idea, but unfortunately we didn't really get to see a lot of it. The plot of the book January was writing was mentioned a handful of times, whereas Gus' was totally forgotten because we weren't given his POV in the story. Something more would have been nice.

January and Gus' relationship is quite complicated to sum up, in my opinion. On the one hand, I liked their conversations and how they could both make fun of each other and also be there for the other in times of need. On the other hand though, I think their relationship felt a bit forced in some moments. The author was trying to sell it to us, but this didn't feel to me like a slow-burn romance. It felt more like an on-and-off romance, in the sense that sometimes it was there and sometimes there really was nothing to drive it forward.
I appreciated how the author included both main characters' inner turmoils, but at times it truly was like I was reading parts of a whole other book. I had these fluffy and cute parts and then these other heavy and serious ones and to my eyes they were just not blended well together, the story just didn't flow naturally in some parts.

Overall I truly expected more from this story.

This book follows January, a 30 year old romance author who's just lost her dad. At his funeral she finds out that he was having an affair and has left his secret lake house to her. While at the lake house January meets Gus, her nemesis and former arch rival from writing school...and he just happens to be her next door neighbour

I loved everything about this book. I loved the heavier topics, the focus on romance as a genre in a meta way and, most importantly, I loved Gus the tortured author love interest. I think I have a type when it comes to these things, and mysterious, brooding artist types are that type

I loved that the protagonist and love interest in this book actually used their words and communicated. That's one of my least favourite things in books, especially romance: miscommunication. But if that ever started to happen in this book, if there were crossed wires, the characters then talked like grown ups and angels sang in my brain

I'd highly recommend this is you're a fan of adult romance, or you're looking for some escapism into the genre

TW: parental death, parental illness (cancer), mention of cults and related abuses, mention of child abuse

A perfect laugh out loud read for the summer. It's a feel good read that you struggle to put down once you start it.

Was excited to read this book based on the description and the recommendations from other authors and reviewers. It tells the story of January, a hopeless romantic who has writers block and escapes to a lake house she inherits from her Dad to escape from it all. Here she meets her neighbour Gus who believes that love is just a fairy tale - and oh who also happens to be her college crush!

I must admit that I found the story quite predictable as you do figure out pretty early on what is going to happen and it does feel a little bit dragged out to get to that point and then rushed once it’s actually happened.

That being said the genuine connection between the characters is written very well and you can relate to them both. Ironically my favourite part of the whole book doesn’t revolve around the central plot but instead around the letters from January’s Dad, this was a beautiful touch to the book and, having lost my dad at a very similar age, it definitely struck a chord.

Overall it is an easy read and will definitely be perfect for reading in the sunshine on a beach - just like the title says!

Instagram: @theressomethingaboutbooks23

This book was fantastically written and unbelievably enchanting. It deals with so many difficult subjects and realistic, complicated characters while still remaining a sweet and heartwarming read. I love that this was a book about writing, as well as a cute romance. Absolutely adorable and I will 100% be picking up a copy of this book when it comes out.